Tag Archives: alaska republican party

Politico is reporting that U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller has been invited to Las Vegas on Sept. 28 to speak at Nevada’s Republican Party’s annual Unity Dinner. The state GOP invited Miller to keynote the banquet, which will follow their state central committee meeting.

“Nevada shares some of the same challenges as Alaska, including vast federal ownership of land within the state,” Miller campaign spokesman Randy DeSoto said, according to Politico. “An alliance with western states such as Nevada will be critical in moving our vision of greater state control forward.”

Some Nevada Republicans might hope their GOP doesn’t have too much in common with Alaska’s GOP, at least in terms of annual party conferences.

At the last annual GOP meeting in Alaska, Miller and his crowd of Tea Party and Ron Paul supporters heckled and booed Sen. Lisa Murkowski and U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, a Republican from Wyoming, who was invited to speak at the banquet.

They were also able to take over leadership of the Alaska Republican Party by getting their members elected to party positions during the convention.

It was a heady time for them until their efforts ultimately unraveled when it was discovered that the coterie proved ineffective at raising money. Tensions ran so high that the chair fired nearly every unpaid party functionary, even the ones who were elected, before skipping town and changing the locks on the doors to the Republican Party headquarters in Anchorage.

Peter Goldberg is the new party chair. He is from Brooklyn, New York. His mother is Jewish. He is now a practicing Mormon. He was raised in orphanages across the city because his father was in prison. He is also a retired Army colonel. Word is he is running things well.

The Alaska Republican Party State Executive Committee is to meet Monday evening at party headquarters in Midtown Anchorage to discuss dysfunctional party issues and what to do about the current chair, Debbie Brown. Brown’s been a continual thorn in the party’s side since she took over for ousted Russ Millette in February, who was the whole branch of thorns.

Recently, Brown has tried to fire nearly every unpaid party functionary, even the ones who were elected. Among those “fired,” are powerful party activist Paulette Simpson, Rev. Jerry Prevo’s right-hand-man Glenn Clary, and Tom Wright, chief of staff to House Speaker Mike Chenualt. (See Wright’s response below).

There is a little glitch, however. Brown supposedly is out of town. Before she left, she changed the locks on the door to the headquarters. Perhaps knowing that they could always channel G. Gordon Liddy to help with those locks, she sent out an email on Monday morning warning against those who might be tempted.

“No one is to enter the premises without permission from the State Chairman,” Brown wrote. “Any unauthorized attempt to enter the premises will be met by the authorities.”

Here’s Wright’s response to being fired by Brown:

Thank you for your email and attached letter in regards to my termination as the District V finance chair. Your letter and email are saving me the trouble from having to resign this position. I no longer wish to be associated with any duties related to the party under your leadership. I hope the termination is effective immediately.

There’s another chair waiting in the wings. Peter Goldberg is currently vice-chair and thought to be sane and sensible. We’ll see if that lasts.